


Brand new Day

by Merenwen76



Series: Cradle of Love - Prompts and Gifts [2]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Blind Date, E-mail, First Meetings, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Insecurity, Internet, M/M, Vet!Jensen, injured!Jensen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:53:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23654164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merenwen76/pseuds/Merenwen76
Summary: Written for the Masquerade 2020 Challenge.Prompt :J1 and J2 fall in love on the internet. They get a chance to meet in real life. But J1 has a secret. He's a vet who's been badly injured and he's been hiding that injury from J2 all this time. As he waits, J1 kind of wishes he told J2 in advance rather than have to see the look on his eyes when the realization that J1 is a burden sinks in.
Relationships: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki
Series: Cradle of Love - Prompts and Gifts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1703056
Comments: 44
Kudos: 300
Collections: SPN_Masquerade Spring 2020





	Brand new Day

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you OP for this wonderful prompt ! I couldn’t resist !
> 
> Thank you Firesign10 and Jerzcaligrl for all your help!

-Hi Jensen, my name is Jared. Matt told me that you would like to present your products for our bar?-

-Hi Jared, thanks for the email. Our brewery has been in Austin for six months and we'd like to put together some sample packages for you. Everything is homemade and we really love and know our beers.

-Sounds great, I'll be expecting your delivery. -

What began as a normal business relationship became more and more intense over the next few weeks.

Jared was excited about the new beers and immediately accepted two into the San Jac's bar operation. 

Jensen loved Jared's enthusiasm when he told him about the new sales. Then there were comments about the last football game. The politics in Austin, the bar regulations that made life difficult for both of them. 

Jared talks about long, stressful nights. From drunk guys to pushy women. The bills that sometimes pile up and the loneliness that sometimes surrounds him.

Jensen wrote about how he brewed beer with his friends at home. How he read books about beer and brewing night after night, and learning all he could.

Jared asked him what he had done before he discovered beer brewing and Jensen responds only that he was in the Army.

Jared didn't didn't ask for more, and Jensen took a deep breath.

Jared eventually became very open; he wrote about failed relationships, too little time he had for his partners, the bar always came first. 

Jensen asked, when you write partners, do you mean men?

Jared didn’t answer for two days.

Jensen evaluated going to the bar.

It's not like he hasn’t driven by it ten times before.

But he couldn't bring himself to go in.

Once Jared saw him...

On the third day, Jared wrote a new order. As his last sentence, Jared wrote

-I'm gay, Jensen, and I hope this won't affect our business relationship.-

It may be that Jensen danced through his own brewery for a brief moment before he realized what Jared was implying.

Quickly he ran back to the laptop.

-Got your order. And your preference. Which I share, by the way. I hope that's not a problem for you either.-

From then on, they flirted openly in all correspondence.

They teased each other about their fondness for cooking shows, when neither can cook. Sharing their passion for art and travel. 

Twice, Jared subtly tried to get Jensen to come over. Both times, Jensen managed to worm his way out with an excuse.

He couldn't deny it. Jared fascinated him. There was hardly anyone else he could ever talk to so openly, so freely.

Which was also because Jared would never see him. Because Jensen knew the minute Jared looked at his face, he would never hear from him again.

It was Thursday night when Jared answered him again, and Jensen's heart jumped for joy until he read the message.

-Hey, Jensen. I need to talk to you.-

Okay, that can mean anything. It doesn't have to mean anything bad. It's not like he met someone.

-I've met someone I can't get out of my head.-

Fuck. 

\- And I don't know what to do. I'm afraid to ask him out.

Jensen's heart became a cold lump of ice.

But Jared was asking him as a friend, so he wrote back.

-Why are you scared?-

-What if he says no? What if he says yes and doesn't like me? What if I never see him again?-

-You worry too much. Jared, you're a great guy. You're charming and open-minded. You make everybody laugh, even me. Trust me, ask him.

-Would you go out with me?-

\- See, just like that! Believe me, he'd be an idiot to say no.

\- ...-

-And?-

\- I asked him.-

Jensen feels jealous all over his body.

-What did he say?-

\- Nothing yet.-

\- What kind of a jerk is that?-

-A lovable one, but unfortunately he can't read properly.-

-I would have said yes in a heartbeat.-

-Jensen, you're a jerk.-

There are moments when you walk into a room and suddenly forget what you wanted, then you leave the room and it comes back to you. 

-ohhh-

And suddenly they had a date.

  
  
  


And here Jensen sat now. In Valentinés Tex Mex Restaurant, waiting for Jared to finally meet him in real life.

He has been sipping his water for five minutes and is struggling with himself over whether he should just leave. It was just a stupid idea. It'll ruin everything. Jared's gonna see him, and that look in his eye is gonna say everything. Embarrassed, Jensen strokes the left side of his face. Despite the beard he has had since his deployment in Kabul, he feels the scar running from his forehead down to his neck. The left eye, bandaged, as it would not see anything anyway.

Jensen was once considered perfect. Too good to be true, those were the words that were used to describe him. His green eyes were once a magical factor. Men and women alike succumbed to his smile. Now they turned away, ashamed, or stared at him furtively. 

When he came back from the war, badly wounded, everyone was still at his side. Steve, who always stressed how he would stand by him. For better or for worse, forever.

Forever was exactly eight months and seven days.

Jensen was lost in thought as a shadow fell over him. 

"Please tell me you are Jensen, because the other alternative would be the sixty year old guy over there and seriously , such a difference in age is too gross for me to consider.

Jensen looks up into the most beautiful eyes he has ever seen. 

And Jared smiles. He is not just smiling, no. He is beaming so wide that deep dimples are carved into his cheeks. 

"May I?" Jared points to the chair across from Jensen and he can only nod.

"Good lord I'm starving. Sorry I'm late, but we had to change two more barrels and I didn't want to show up here in sweaty clothes. I didn't want you to get a bad impression of me."

Jensen continues to look at him, stunned.

Jared looks incredibly good sitting there. He was tall and slim, but not skinny, just very muscular. The blue henley fit perfectly on his body and emphasized his fascinating iridescent eyes. 

Jared opens the menu and talks about his day. And Jensen suddenly gets angry. When will he say something ? When will Jared look at him with pity. Let him do it already, then they can get this whole thing over with.

"Okay, I know what I want. What about you? Or did you order already?" 

Jensen chews on the inside of his healthy cheek and avoids Jared's gaze.

Jared folds the menu and looks worriedly over at Jensen.

"Jensen, did I say something wrong?"

Jared's cheeks turn red and he looks shyly at his napkin.

"Did you picture someone else? I'm sorry if I haven't...?

"When are you going to say it?" Jensen eventually blurts out.

"When do I say what? Jared asks, puzzled, but Jensen just gets angrier.

"Come on, Jared, let's cut the charade. When's the pity question? Oh, how did that happen to your face? Or do you want me to think that you didn't see it? That you happened to miss how disfigured I am?"

"Of course I saw the scar on your face. And?"

"So? That's it? And? You come in here like an Adonis on two long legs, with your amazing body, and gorgeous face, and you act like everything is normal“

Now it's Jared who's getting mad.

"Ackles. Shut up."

Jensen stares at him, but when he goes to say something Jared silences him with a gesture of his hand.

"I'm sorry. No, not your face, I'm sorry you really think I'm such a shallow asshole. I've been trying to date you for weeks. And you really think that now that I'm finally meeting you, I’m gonna run off?" 

Jensen looks at him with embarrassment.

"Jared, I'm... I'm sorry."

Jared looks at him, looks him right in the face,and this time Jensen does not turn away. He feels naked and catches himself trying to cover the ugly skin with his hand.

"Please don't do this, Jensen. Not for me."

Jared takes a deep breath, then bends over the table.

"Three years ago, I learned something. A scar, by definition, is the visible trace of a _healed_ wound."

Jared puts his elbow on the table so that the inside is facing up.

Carefully he pulls up the sleeve of the henley.

Jensen stares like he's in a trance at the white scar running over Jared's pulse.

The spot on the skin leaves no room for speculation.

"I like this definition. And one day, I want to tell you about my scar. And one day, I will listen to you tell me about yours. But tonight, I want to get to know you. _You_ , Jensen, and not your healed wound. Are you okay with that?"

Jensen reaches for Jared's hand which is still open on the table. Their fingers slide into each other as if they had always been one. 

"Let's try this again. Hi, my name is Jensen, and I'm looking forward to this evening."  
  
  
  
  



End file.
